not giving up
by lostinthemusicx11
Summary: She's not ready to give up...not when she's willing to fight for it... -Ezria 2x21/2x22-


_**A/N: Happy Spring Break guys, here is my present for you :) Obviously this was written before last night's episode, but anyway...**_

**_Disclaimer: I W-I-S-H (wish). Seriously, Sara Shepard/Marlene King/all the other PLL writers are genius!_**

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><p>-not giving up-<p>

Ezria

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><p>When he practically tells her he's losing faith in their relationship in so many words or less and then proceeds to leave her all alone with her unpleasant thoughts, she can't help but cry. She's a whole mess of emotions: angry, hurt, and, confused, though more than anything, she is scared.<p>

_She's scared it might really be over this time…_

_**For good.**_

_**And she doesn't want it to be.**_

_**No. **_

She doesn't want it to end. Not because of what Ezra thinks (or rather what he doesn't think) or because of what her dad says or what A wants. _**She doesn't want it to end when she's willing to fight for it.**_

She's gone through way too much to throw her whole relationship with Ezra away for her sake or his sake or the sake of anyone else's. She's shared way too many happy moments with Ezra to just forget about him and let him go.

_**She refuses to.**_

She refuses to let the only guy (or in this case, man) she's ever loved slip though her fingers. She refuses to let the "bad guys" win.

_**Not when they've done enough of that already.**_

Not when Noel almost exposed them and got Ezra fired out of his own pure jealousy at losing her to someone better. Not when A caused them to break up and then make up plenty of times before. And most certainly not now when her father, "Byron" arranged for him to be offered some hotshot job in Louisiana in order to keep him away from her for the rest of her life. _**It just wasn't happening…**_

_**Not if she had anything to do with it.**_

And have anything to do with it, she would. If her father or A thought that she would simply sit back and be a spectator they were crazy. Both of them. (Or all of them depending on how many people were the evil brains behind A).

Because Aria wasn't playing the damsel in distress anymore. She wasn't going to wait for the cops to come "save" her from the man her father thought Ezra was or from A when Officer Garret was surely one of them. _**Aria Montgomery wasn't helpless. Helplessness was for weaklings.**_

Sighing, Aria finally swipes under her eyes and calms down. She's sick of crying, sick of feeling vulnerable, and sick of falling apart as the result of other people's insensitivity. She's sixteen years old, strong, _**and in control of her own life.**_

_**Her father doesn't tell her what to do and neither does A. **_

If she wants to be with Ezra, she's allowed to be, regardless of the circumstances. She's a young adult; _**she has the power to choose.**_

_And you know what?_ She feels like saying. _I choose him._

_**I choose Ezra.**_

That's why later when her mom "plays dumb" about the entire situation (well, only the part involving Ezra and her dad), she decides she's grown tired of the people who act like they've done nothing to hurt her. She can't stand that they pretend they're innocent nor can stand her twisted and complicated life in Rosewood, Pennsylvania anymore. _**She wants to go somewhere she can be free.**_

Free of A, free of her father, and free of the judgment coming from the people around her who don't know even half of the entire story. _**She just wants to be with Ezra and she wants to be with him now.**_

So she does something drastic. She packs up all her things and she runs away. She runs all the way away to Ezra's apartment. She knocks on his door and the moment he answers, she rushes full speed into his arms and cries and says she's sorry for getting angry at him earlier. She holds him as tight as she can while she buries her face into his shirt.

She tells him he can go to New Orleans if he wants and she won't stop him or make him feel like he's being forced to stay in Rosewood because of her. She tells him that she loves him and **she's coming…**_**coming with him…**_

_Y-You're coming…to Louisiana?_ He releases her from his grip long enough to stare into her pretty hazel eyes, completely awestruck. She simply nods.

_I know we fought earlier._ She sniffles. _But even when I'm mad at you, I just can't be without you. You're the only person who understands me…and I love you for that…_

_Oh Aria._ He hugs her again, rubbing small circles on her back. _I love_ _you too._ _And knowing that you would do this, it…it really means the world to me. _He kissed the crown of her head softly, listening to her voice crack.

_I want to be with you forever, Ezra. A-And no one can tell me different, okay. No one can make me feel like this is wrong or that I'm stupid for sacrificing everything for the one person I truly care about. I'm ready for this to work out. I really am._

_I am too. _Ezra nods. _I am too._

_Good._ Aria replies. _Because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you…_

_And you'll never have to, either. _Now Ezra sniffles. _Because I'm not going anywhere, at least not without you…_

And when she suddenly feels him lean into kiss her on the lips a moment after that, Aria knows he's being serious. _She just knows._

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><p><strong><em>What'd you guys think? I personally lovvveee happy endings and I just knew the writers wouldn't make Ezra leave Aria like that. I'm so proud of him for finally standing up to Byronfighting for her because Ezria is truly meant to be. And kudos to Lucy for her absolute amazingness in those crying scenes in 2x21. If I ever am so fortunate to make a movie one day/if I decide to make a movie one day, she's hired, Lol! Thanks guys :)_**


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